Zeeburgereiland Amsterdam, NL

Blok 10

Zeeburgereiland, an island with a former sewage system facility, is situated between the city centre of Amsterdam and the new extension of IJburg. It is currently being transformed into a new city district.

A new neighbourhood is designed around a central park with sports facilities. Block 10 is situated on the north side of this park. According to the urban brief the block should at least be 25 metres high at the park side. Because of this height, the volumes will cast shadows on its own plot and diminish the qualities for housing.

This design is an answer to this seemingly bad conditions. In plan as well as in section the volumes are manipulated in such a way that sun will reach the backside of the plot.

The terracing section also helps to mediate between the large scale of the park and the low-rise housing at the other side of the plot.

By turning the north west facades more towards the west, more dwellings can enjoy the sunlight. This ultimately results in a nice cafe on the north west corner of the first building with a little square in the evening sun.

The buildings are terraced towards the north east. This allows the apartments to look to the beautiful Waterland area in the north of Amsterdam. By generating this section the project is charged with 28 penthouses in total with an average terrace of 35 m² per apartment.

Each building is slightly different from the others which will be noted at ‘second glance’.

Organisation

The three buildings are divided by two communal gardens, which are open for the public. Each building has its main entrance on the park side. The apartments are organised around a corridor. At the top three luxury penthouses are situated with an oriantation on all sides. The parking garage is for 113 cars and 640 bikes.

Materials

All Three buildings are clad in a light brickwork. The aluminium window frames are bordered by copper and brass panels, giving colour and variety to the blocks. The terraces have glass fences. The angular balconies wear steel sheet fences with open cuts.

Mick Jagger, Elton John, Tina Turner. It’s the generation which invented our youth culture, the idea of an entirely self-determined lifestyle and the ideal of eternal youth. Remember Keith Richards falling out of a palm tree? That’s the generation for whom we’re currently building retirement homes.

Mick Jagger, Elton John, Tina Turner. It’s the generation which invented our youth culture, the idea of an entirely self-determined lifestyle and the ideal of eternal youth. Remember Keith Richards falling out of a palm tree? That’s the generation for whom we’re currently building retirement homes.